Fede Alvarez Archives - ShowBizCafe.com

Thank you for downloading episode 28 of the Highly Relevant podcast. On today’s episode, we welcome GOTHAM’s Jessica Lucas who plays the villain Tigress and she discuss her thoughts on women in superhero movies plus working with Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez. Plus, my review of the highly anticipated Fate of the Furious and a recap of all the top music, tv and movie news you’ve missed this week!Read More

I’m 3 weeks in doing the Highly Relevant podcast and it’s been a wondrous experience. I LOVE pop culture, but I detest the idea of having it be limited by a single language or culture. I want to talk to both sides of who I am – American and Latino. By tapping both sides, I get to discuss subjects that only enrich the conversations I’m having. There’s a global, international vibe to the dialogues I conduct and this third episode is a nice example of it.Read More

With the upcoming release of the horror film “The Conjuring,” I decided to make a list of the top 5 bloodiest movies in the history of cinema. This list will focus exclusively on the disturbing amount of blood that appears on a screen and not on the level of fear or suspense that it provokes. Be it bad, obscure, or unsettling, this list is about blood, thick curdling hoses of blood. Here are the 5 bloodiest movies that are sure to make anyone that watches them vomit from disgust.Read More

Oceans of blood, cringing gore, clenching suspense and some good ol’ laughs for the road make the Evil Dead remake from Uruguayan writer/director Fede Alvarez the best horror movie of 2013 so far.

In this remake, the primary premise from the original has been tweaked. Five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.

The basic objective for one paying to see horror movies is to experience a flood of adrenaline by way of heart-pounding scares and as much blood one can bear for the price of their ticket. But because moviegoers are exposed to a lot more horror these days many have become desensitized to it. That’s why the same ol’ formula just doesn’t cut it anymore, which is why the majority fail at it (most of the Jason and Freddy Krueger films), though some actually deliver the goods (The Strangers, Insidious, Sinister). I’m glad to say that Evil Dead is one of the fortunate cases where the above essentials are met with a combination of 21st-century technology and classic hardcore horror elements.

Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, the original director and star respectively, are producers this time around helping Fede Alvarez succeed in his debut. From what I saw, Alvarez has a vast knowledge of the Evil Dead universe and it made for a nostalgic yet modern cinematic experience, which should make any fan of the original trilogy proud. Critics can try and nitpick the movie all they want and even find drawbacks with the ending, but they’re so minimal that the average moviegoer will ignore the particulars.

The production quality this time around is authentic, stylish, crisp and raw. The location took place in a real forest in New Zealand with as little soundstage as possible. The film was shot in the new super high resolution 4k cameras that give it that 16mm film look. CGI was kept to a minimum as to give the movie a more realistic look and the bloody sequences were almost excessive. Jason Durey, the FX supervisor says that his shoot of “30 Days of Night,” which was quite a big, bloody, vampire film, went through 4,500 liters of blood. On this movie, they went through a whopping 25,000 liters of blood and 300 liters of vomit.

As for the acting, it is so much better than the original. I understand that fans think that the bad acting is part of the charm, but even Bruce Campbell himself thought that was one of the original’s biggest foibles. Shiloh Fernandez, of Portuguese descent, along with the rest of the cast, don’t set the world on fire, but they’re convincing, and at the end of the day that’s all you need. I bought their plight and fears and have no complaints to offer.

In regards to the director, I’m glad Hollywood is becoming culture blind. Fede Alvarez, a full fledge Uruguayan, is one of the great Hollywood stories of 2013. He went from the obscurity of a third world country in the farthest regions of the world, to directing and writing the remake of one of Hollywood’s most iconic horror films. Alvarez joins a new wave of Latino filmmakers that are giving the new crop of American helmers a run for their money. Latino filmmakers provide a different point of view on story lines, a more gritty, auteur look to their films and an enthusiasm that is evident on their projects. He is a talented filmmaker, is technically sound and knows how to put a movie together. He reminds me a lot of Robert Rodriguez, another skilled and multi-talented filmmaker who can pretty much do anything with little funding. With new and fresh Latino directors providing Hollywood with a spark for the future, it is only time until the Oscars are flooded with Latino nominees and winners.

But as much as I enjoyed the movie, I’m not surprised to read that some critics were dissatisfied with it. Perhaps it is because they’re trying to compare it with William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” or Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” or any other iconic classic. Those classic films come along once in a blue moon and are considered an exception where masterpiece cinema meets crowd-pleasing satisfaction. What they don’t get is that most horror films are done with entertainment value in mind, in other words, they amp up the gore elements audiences relish so much. Regrettably, the execution ends up being very amateurish and stale. Not with Evil Dead though.

Bottom line – the movie experience you get from Evil Dead is one that you will certainly enjoy. Mentally, there is already a level of excitement as soon as you sit down and eat that buttery drenched popcorn with your fried nachos in deep soggy cheese. Half way through, take a look at the people around you and you’ll notice the whole theater clinching their jaws, gripping the armrests of their chairs and young girls covering their eyes tormented as to what revolting scene is approaching with chilling suspense. Your senses are begging for a break after being exhausted for an hour and a half. The end is a welcome sight and you’ll be happy it’s over, but deep inside, you’re already asking yourself – “When is “Evil Dead 2” be coming out?”

One of the great stories of 2013 is the story of a young Uruguayan filmmaker who went from the obscurity of a third world country in the farthest regions of the world to directing one of Hollywood’s most iconic horror films, and a big budget horror film at that. His name is Fede Alvarez and his dream has come true, and most likely, even has exceeded it. Read our Q&A of how Alvarez made it. Read More

As you might have heard, Disney purchased Lucasfilm for 4 billion dollars, and with it, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones saga. The big talks to come out of that deal is that Disney is gun-ho on continuing the Star Wars saga, ergo, the seventh chapter of the series. For now Indy is out of the conversation.

With a look into the future of the iconic sci-fi franchise, we pick 10 directors – Hispanic directors – that possess the skill, vision and passion to take it into the next 35 years. By selecting these helmers and cinephiles, we break Hollywood conventions and give rise to a new generation of directors whom most likely grew up wanting to be the new George Lucas, laser-sword fighting like Luke Skywalker, quoting Han Solo, crushing on Princess Leia and fearing Darth Vader.

So without further adieu, we pick the Top 10 Hispanic directors we think can and should helm the new Star Wars trilogy.Read More